Crane guide · Rochester & Monroe County

Crane types and lifting capacity

Seven kinds of crane cover most lifts, from a 2-ton portable gantry on a shop floor to a crawler crane on a steel job. Below is the capacity range manufacturers and rental companies list for each type, with the source and the date we checked. It's a starting point, not a sizing decision: the crane company sizes the crane for your lift.

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Plain disclosure: We pass your request to a local crane company. We are not a crane company or operator and do not own cranes. This site is run by Flow AI Partners. Capacity figures on this page come from manufacturers' and rental companies' own websites. We don't sell or rate any equipment.

A lattice-boom crawler crane on tracks with its boom raised, standing beside a wind turbine at dusk

Capacity at a glance

Crane capacity by type, with sources

Each range is what one or two manufacturers list for their current crane line, or what a national rental company lists. Other makes and older cranes can fall outside these ranges. “USt” is US (short) tons of 2,000 lb.

Crane type	Listed capacity range	Where the range comes from	Rental listings	Sources
Boom truck	10 to 60 US tons	National Crane (Manitowoc): stand-up models 10 to 33 USt; swing-seat models 30 to 60 USt	United Rentals lists crane trucks from 15 to 25 tons	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · National Crane · United Rentals
Hydraulic truck crane	40 to 120 US tons	Link-Belt telescopic truck cranes: 40 to 120 USt. Grove truck-mounted cranes: 75 to 115 USt	—	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Link-Belt · Grove
All-terrain crane	55 to 550 US tons	Grove all-terrain cranes: GMK3050-3 (55 USt) to the largest GMK (550 USt)	—	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Grove
Rough-terrain crane	15 to 165 US tons	Grove rough-terrain cranes: GRT540 (40 USt) to GRT9165 (165 USt)	United Rentals lists rough-terrain cranes from 15 to 80 tons	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Grove · United Rentals
Crawler crane	80 to 303 US tons	Link-Belt lattice crawler cranes: base ratings from 80 USt to 303 USt	United Rentals also lists mini crawler cranes of 1.25 to 4 tons, a separate compact class	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Link-Belt · United Rentals
Carry deck / pick-and-carry	2.5 to 25 US tons	Broderson carry deck cranes: IC-20 (5,000 lb) to IC-400 (50,000 lb)	United Rentals lists carry deck cranes from 2.5 to 18 tons	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Broderson · United Rentals
Portable gantry crane	2 to 10 tons	Rental listings (see the gantry section)	United Rentals lists aluminum gantries of 2 and 3 tons and a 10-ton steel gantry	Checked Oct 30, 2026 · United Rentals · 2-ton listing

A crane's rated tons are not what it can lift at your job

The tonnage in a crane's name is its maximum, lifted close to the crane with the boom set up for it. The farther the load is from the crane, the less it can lift. The crane company reads the actual figure off that crane's load chart, and cranes must be operated within the manufacturer's load charts (OSHA 1926.1417). So a crane rated well above your load's weight may still be the right size, or too small, depending on the reach.

Ranges as listed on each company's website, checked Oct 30, 2026. Manufacturers and rental companies named here are not affiliated with us, and listing them isn't a recommendation. Rental fleets in the Rochester area may differ.

Crane types

The six mobile crane types, and what each is used for

These are the crane types you can choose on our quote form. If you're not sure, choose “Not sure” and describe the load; the crane company will size it.

Boom truck

Truck-mounted · paved sites10 to 60 US tonsNational Crane's listed range

A crane mounted on a commercial truck chassis, so it drives to the job and sets up quickly. Common for truss packages, rooftop HVAC units, signs and material handling where the truck can park close to the lift.

National Crane lists stand-up boom trucks from 10 to 33 USt and swing-seat models from 30 to 60 USt. United Rentals lists crane trucks from 15 to 25 tons.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · National Crane · United Rentals

Hydraulic truck crane

Road-legal · telescoping boom40 to 120 US tonsLink-Belt's listed range

A road-legal crane with a telescoping boom on a dedicated carrier. Quick to set up for single-day commercial picks on paved sites.

Link-Belt lists telescopic truck cranes from 40 to 120 USt. Grove lists truck-mounted cranes from 75 to 115 USt.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Link-Belt · Grove

All-terrain crane

Highway + rough sites55 to 550 US tonsGrove's listed range

Drives on highways and handles rougher job sites, with all-wheel drive and steering. Used for heavier or longer-reach lifts. The largest models travel with their counterweight on separate trucks.

Grove lists all-terrain cranes from the GMK3050-3 at 55 USt up to 550 USt.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Grove

Rough-terrain crane

Unpaved or soft ground15 to 165 US tonsGrove's range, plus rental listings

Built for unpaved, uneven or soft ground such as new building pads and yards. It has large tires and a single cab, and is usually hauled to the site on a trailer.

Grove lists rough-terrain cranes from the GRT540 at 40 USt to the GRT9165 at 165 USt. United Rentals lists rough-terrain cranes from 15 to 80 tons.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Grove · United Rentals

Crawler crane

Tracks · assembled on site80 to 303 US tonsLink-Belt's lattice crawler range

Moves on tracks and is assembled on site, so it suits heavy, long-duration work like steel erection and industrial projects rather than a single quick pick.

Link-Belt lists lattice crawler cranes with base ratings from 80 USt to 303 USt. At the other end, United Rentals lists mini crawler cranes of 1.25 to 4 tons for indoor and tight-access work.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Link-Belt · United Rentals

Carry deck / pick-and-carry

Compact · tight spaces2.5 to 25 US tonsBroderson's listed range

A small, maneuverable crane that can carry a load on its deck and drive with it. Used on plant floors, in warehouses and in tight spaces.

Broderson lists carry deck cranes from the IC-20 at 5,000 lb (2.5 tons) to the IC-400 at 50,000 lb (25 tons). United Rentals lists carry deck cranes from 2.5 to 18 tons.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Broderson · United Rentals

Indoor and tight-space lifts

Portable gantry cranes: capacity and what to measure

A portable gantry crane, often an A-frame, is a freestanding frame with a hoist that lifts straight up and down. A mobile crane drives to the site and lifts with a boom. A gantry usually fits indoor shop and warehouse lifts, machinery moves, and tight spaces where a mobile crane can't set up.

Capacities vary by model. United Rentals lists aluminum gantry cranes rated 2 tons in 10, 12 and 15 ft spans, a 3-ton aluminum gantry, and a 10-ton steel gantry with a 13.5 ft span. Rigging contractors also use gantry systems for heavier machinery moves; Clark Rigging & Rental, for example, lists gantry and powered skate systems among its rigging equipment.

Checked Oct 30, 2026 · United Rentals cranes · United Rentals 2-ton gantry · Clark Rigging

We don't own gantry cranes. Choose “Gantry crane” on the form and we pass your request to a local company, which may quote you directly.

Request a gantry crane quote

Details that help a gantry quote

Weightof the heaviest piece
Lift height and spanhow high, and how wide the frame must straddle
Floor or surfaceconcrete, pavement, gravel or soft ground
Indoors or outdoorsplus door widths and access
Datesstart date and how long you need it

Sizing your lift

Picking a type is easier than picking a size

The type mostly follows from the site: pavement or soft ground, indoors or out, one pick or weeks of work. The size depends on three numbers: the weight of the heaviest piece, how far it is from where the crane can set up, and how high it goes.

Get those numbers ready with our crane size helper, see published example rates in the crane rental cost guide, or look up crane companies serving Rochester, NY.

Heaviest pieceFrom the spec sheet, nameplate or invoice, plus rigging if known.
Radius (reach)Horizontal distance from where the crane parks to where the load lands.
Set heightRoof or floor level, plus anything the load must clear.
Ground and accessPavement, gravel or soft ground, gates, and overhead lines.

About this site

We're a referral service, and we say so up front

Rochester Crane Quote Desk is a free quote-request service run by Flow AI Partners. We do not own or operate cranes. We pass your request to a local crane company, which may quote you and, if you hire them, does the work directly.

We pass your request to a local crane company. We are not a crane company or operator and do not own cranes. This site is run by Flow AI Partners.

We don't own or operate cranesThe crane company we pass your request to supplies the crane and operator and is responsible for the lift.

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